"High on the top of the moor, a little lake lying in a hollow of rock and heather". That's in Swallowdale, the second of Arthur Ransome's books. We have walked beside it, round it and even camped beside it in the snow. Here the fells are little changed from Ransome's days with much of the fellside pathless while routes meander through the bracken as if not wanting to spoil the untouched fellside. With a visit to Beacon Fell and a picnic and afterwards a paddle in Coniston Water, what better way to recapture a childish delight in the Lake District.
LOCATION: South Lake District
START: A5084, 5 miles south of Coniston. Park on Blawith Common, north of Water Yeat, by a very small road bridge
Grid ref: SD288904 Postcode: LA128DW
DISTANCE: 4 miles
GRADE: Moderate
TIME: 2.5 hours
MAP: Explorer OL - English Lakes South-western area Landranger 96
REFRESHMENTS: Pack a flask
EN ROUTE: Coniston Water, Cumbria Way, Slatestone Fell
This walk was originally published by
The Manchester Evening News